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BMAT Section 2 Chemistry - How to speed up your calculations · BMAT Tips series

2017-07-19 · Long video (solo, talking head or whiteboard) · Ali · recording, 5:33 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Medicine and his doctor years · mode: Explanation and tutorial · tags: Aimed at students, His own products discussed

Following his BMAT Section 2 chemistry video, Ali gives three ways to speed up chemistry calculation questions: know every formula by heart, understand moles intuitively instead of relying on the formula triangle, and use mental maths, since BMAT chemistry numbers are almost always friendly.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Follow-up to the chemistry video: calculation questions are tricky because of timing

  • ★★ Ali says BMAT chemistry calculation questions are only GCSE standard: they are tricky because of the timing, not because they are hard. — 00:00:00 · BMAT (admissions)

00:00:29 — Know the formulae by heart; understand moles instead of the formula triangle (Ron and Hermione)

  • ★★ In a BMAT chemistry calculation question the candidate has to work out the question, remember the formula, plug in numbers and do rapid mental maths in under one minute. — 00:00:29 · BMAT (admissions)
  • ★★★ For BMAT chemistry calculations Ali advises knowing the formula for everything that could be asked by heart, such as percentage yield, so numbers go straight in. — 00:00:29 · BMAT (admissions)
  • ★★ Ali says most of the A-level chemistry students he and his team help struggle with moles and get round it by memorising the formula triangle, which works only when there is plenty of time. — 00:00:29
  • ★★★ With one minute per BMAT question, Ali advises understanding moles conceptually and intuitively instead of working through the formula triangle. — 00:00:58 · BMAT (admissions)
  • ★★ Ali's example: converting 36 g of carbon (Mr 12) to 3 moles, a student who simply sees the answer saves seconds each time over one who works through the formula triangle, time that adds up over the Section 2 paper. — 00:01:27 · BMAT (admissions)

00:02:26 — Free chemistry calculation tutorials on BMAT Ninja

00:02:55 — Mental maths: friendly numbers, falling back on the formula, guessing and moving on

  • ★★★ The third thing Ali says BMAT candidates need to get good at for Section 2 chemistry is mental maths. — 00:02:55 · BMAT (admissions)
  • ★★ Ali says he will talk much more about mental maths in his coming video on the approach to BMAT Section 2 maths. — 00:02:55 · BMAT (admissions)
  • ★★★ Ali says the numbers in BMAT chemistry questions look scary but are almost always friendly enough to work with in your head. — 00:02:55 · BMAT (admissions)
  • ★★ Ali's example: with an Mr of 137, noticing that 137 is half of 274 shows that 2.74 g is 0.02 moles without any formula. — 00:03:24 · BMAT (admissions)
  • ★★ Ali says BMAT candidates sometimes have to fall back on the formula, especially when the numbers are not as simple as 12 g of carbon or 16 g of oxygen. — 00:03:53 · BMAT (admissions)
  • ★★★ If a BMAT chemistry question needs heavy estimating, Ali advises double-checking the numbers, and if it still takes too long, guessing an answer and moving on. — 00:04:23 · BMAT (admissions)

00:04:40 — Summary of the three things and sign-off

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Central: BMAT (admissions)

Also: BMAT Ninja (website, bmat.ninja) · Section 2 Assumed Knowledge Guide

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